There's life in this Tottenham Hotspur side yet, and that's the main thing, with Igor Tudor's men putting in a more than creditable display in Wednesday's second-leg clash with Atletico Madrid.
Let's face it, the damage was done inside 17 minutes of the reverse fixture a week ago, yet briefly it looked as if the Lilywhites could stage a surprise comeback this time around, having led on the night following Randal Kolo Muani's well-taken header.
That slim hope of getting back into the tie was ultimately curtailed following Julian Alvarez's equaliser just after the break, with David Hancko again pegging the hosts back after Xavi Simons' thumping effort just before the hour mark.
A late spot-kick for the Dutchman ensured the aggregate scoreline reads far more favourably, and while it ultimately proved in vain, the under-fire Tudor can reflect on a first win in charge in north London.
How Tudor secured a first win in charge at Spurs
The aftermath of last week's crushing defeat saw the pressure mount on the interim Spurs boss, with the Croatian looking set to head for the exit door in the days leading up to the trip to Anfield.
How it can all change, however, with a positive result against Liverpool followed up by the first victory of the Tudor reign on Wednesday night, with the home side having been deserving winners at N17.
In truth, Tudor largely has the aforementioned Simons to thank for that eventual 3-2 scoreline, with the ex-RB Leipzig man having been mesmeric in midfield, pulling the strings time and again for this youthful Tottenham side.
Denied an assist in the first half as Mathys Tel failed to capitalise on Simons' sweeping pass, Spurs' 22-year-old star then lashed home himself after the break to spark renewed hope, prior to winning and converting a stoppage-time penalty.
Had it not been for a blocked Kolo Muani effort at the death, there could have been an even more frantic finale, albeit with Tudor still left to reflect on a job well done, with there now so much to build on heading into the weekend.
Indeed, the deployment of a back three, amid the return of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, worked wonders, while the attacking trio of Kolo Muani, Tel and Simons wreaked havoc all night up against Diego Simeone's men.
As good as Simons was, however, Spurs' star attraction seemingly came from another source...
Spurs' new Dembele was even better than Simons
It is nights like these where the cream truly rises to the top, with Simons producing arguably his finest performance to date since his marquee arrival from Germany.
The same could also be said of the man behind him, Archie Gray, with the Englishman having been immense as an all-action, box-to-box figure in Tudor's midfield.
Almost akin to the great Mousa Dembele in his pomp, Gray was here, there and everywhere, mirroring the Belgian with that ability to simply glide and stride up the pitch, breezing past opponents with ease.
An Atleti midfield that had run riot last week were simply no match for the young Englishman, a point best illustrated with his involvement in Simons' first of the night.
Indeed, the former Leeds United starlet pounced on a loose pass, drove forward with the ball before flicking it into the path of the Netherlands international, showcasing that Dembele-esque knack for turning defence into attack in an instant.
Previously described as a "future Tottenham captain" by Harry Redknapp, this was the latest indication of just why Gray is so highly-rated, with the 20-year-old the type of talent that the next permanent coach should well build around.
Graceful yet combative, Gray notably registered an 88% pass accuracy rate, alongside recovering the ball on nine occasions, having led the charge amid what was a collectively courageous performance from the home side.
Having so long been something of a utility man under both Thomas Frank and Ange Postecologu, after even lining up at centre-back under the latter, Gray is back in his rightful home and looks all the better for it.
As was witnessed with the likes of Dembele or Dele Alli in the recent past, this is a club in which a midfielder can truly blossom, with the England youth star looking like the latest monster in that department.